Influence of agronomic practices on yield and profitability in kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) fibre cultivation

Field trials were conducted in 2003 and 2004 at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan (7o 38’ N 3o 84’ E), Nigeria to determine the influence of some agronomic practices on yield andprofitability in kenaf bast fibre production. Three kenaf varieties, Cuba 108, Ifeken 400 and Ibadan local, were subjected to three agronomic practices in a split-plot experiment. The agronomic practicesinclude the farmers’ practice where no input was used and two levels of improved management practices (IMP) where the influence of pests and soil nutrition were ameliorated. The results showed that total dry matter, fibre and core yields increased by 150 – 170%, incidence of nematode reduced by 50% and severity scores of insects attack on foliage reduced by 83% in the improved management practice (IMP). The three kenaf varieties differ significantly in their leaf biomass, reaction to nematode and foliage pests attack. In the control treatment, Ibadan local had more leaf biomass and was tolerantto pests attack while other varieties were susceptible. Economic analysis showed that net return was higher in the local cultivar than in the improved varieties under the farmers’ practice. However,economic returns and marginal rate of returns were higher under IMP’s than the control in Cuba 108 and Ifeken 100 varieties than the local cultivar

Financial and corporate social performance in the UK listed firms: the relevance of non-linearity and lag effects

Using environmental, social and governance scores compiled by Reuters Datastream for each company’s corporate social performance (CSP), we examine the relationship between CSP and corporate financial performance (CFP) of 314 UK listed companies over the period 2002–2015. We further evaluate the relationship between prior and subsequent CFP and prior and subsequent CSP. Based on the system-GMM estimation method, we provide direct evidence that suggests that while CFP and CSP can be linked linearly; however, when we examine the impact of CSP on CFP, the association is more non-linear (cubic) than linear. Our results suggest that firms periodically adjust their level of commitment to society, in order to meet their target CSP. The primary contributions of this paper are testing (1) the non-monotonous relationship between CSP and CFP, (2) the lagged relationship between the two and the optimality of CSP levels, and (3) the presence of a virtuous circle. Our results further suggest that CSP contributes to CFP better during post-crisis years. Our findings are robust to year-on-year changes in CFP and CSP, financial versus non-financial firms, and the intensity of corporate social responsibility (CSR) engagement across industries

A Mouse Model for Osseous Heteroplasia

GNAS/Gnas encodes Gsa that is mainly biallelically expressed but shows imprinted expression in some tissues. In Albright Hereditary Osteodystrophy (AHO) heterozygous loss of function mutations of GNAS can result in ectopic ossification that tends to be superficial and attributable to haploinsufficiency of biallelically expressed Gsa. Oed-Sml is a point missense mutation in exon 6 of the orthologous mouse locus Gnas. We report here both the late onset ossification and occurrence of benign cutaneous fibroepithelial polyps in Oed-Sml. These phenotypes are seen on both maternal and paternal inheritance of the mutant allele and are therefore due to an effect on biallelically expressed Gsa. The ossification is confined to subcutaneous tissues and so resembles the ossification observed with AHO. Our mouse model is the first with both subcutaneous ossification and fibroepithelial polyps related to Gsa deficiency. It is also the first mouse model described with a clinically relevant phenotype associated with a point mutation in Gsa and may be useful in investigations of the mechanisms of heterotopic bone formation. Together with earlier results, our findings indicate that Gsa signalling pathways play a vital role in repressing ectopic bone formation

The effect of culture on Corporate Governance Practices in Nigeria

This study focuses on the effect of culture on the application of corporate governance practices in Nigeria. Corporate governance has been receiving serious attention in emerging markets over the past two decades. But relatively little attention has been given to the study on corporate governance in a country study. The current situations in Nigerian public and private sectors such as the corporate scandal resulting from Lever Brothers Nigeria plc, Siemens, Shell, Halliburton, and Cadbury Nigeria plc, have shown that the issue of fraud, corruption, and corporate scandals cannot be overlooked. Most top management, as this study argues, bring in beliefs acquired from their early childhood into their senior management roles and responsibilities. This study adopts a grounded theory and reports on the effect of culture on the implementation of corporate governance in Nigeria. Based on the interview with 32 staffs, this study identifies the effect of culture that shapes corporate governance and they include abuse of power by top management, weak legal framework, poor recruitment and ineffective control. Although having efficient corporate governance is worth pursuing, this depends on the power of top management, the strength of internal control procedures and the legal framework put in place by management

Surveillance of pneumococcal serotypes in adults hospitalised with acute lower respiratory tract infection in Bristol, UK

IntroductionPneumococcus remains a major cause of adult lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). Few data exist on the relative contribution of serotypes included in pneumococcal vaccines to community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and non-pneumonic (NP) LRTI. We measured the burden of all and vaccine-serotype pneumococcal respiratory infection following SARS-CoV-2 emergence to inform evidence-based vaccination policy.MethodsA prospective cohort study at two Bristol hospitals (UK) including all adults age ≥ 18-years hospitalised with acute lower respiratory tract disease (aLRTD) from Nov2021–Nov2022. LRTI patients were classified as: a) radiographically-confirmed CAP (CAP+/RAD+), b) clinically-diagnosed CAP without radiological confirmation (CAP+/RAD−), or c) NP-LRTI. Pneumococcus was identified by blood culture, BinaxNOW™ and serotype-specific urine antigen detection assays (UAD).ResultsOf 12,083 aLRTD admissions, 10,026 had LRTI and 2,445 provided urine: 1,097 CAP + RAD+; 207 CAP + RAD−; and 1,141 NP-LRTI. Median age was 71.1y (IQR57.9–80.2) and Charlson comorbidity index = 4 (IQR2-5); 2.7 % of patients required intensive care, and 4.4 % died within 30-days of hospitalisation. Pneumococcus was detected in 280/2445 (11.5 %) participants. Among adults aged ≥ 65y and 18-64y, 12.9 % (198/1534) and 9.0 % (82/911), respectively, tested pneumococcus positive. We identified pneumococcus in 165/1097 (15.0 %) CAP + RAD+, 23/207 (11.1 %) CAP + RAD−, and 92/1141 (8.1 %) NP-LRTI cases. Of the 280 pneumococcal cases, 102 (36.4 %) were due to serotypes included in PCV13 + 6C, 115 (41.7 %) in PCV15 + 6C, 210 (75.0 %) in PCV20 + 6C/15C and 228 (81.4 %) in PPV23 + 15C. The most frequently identified serotypes were 8 (n = 78; 27.9 % of all pneumococcus), 7F (n = 25; 8.9 %), and 3 (n = 24; 8.6 %).DiscussionAmong adults hospitalised with respiratory infection, pneumococcus is an important pathogen across all subgroups, including CAP+/RAD- and NP-LRTI. Despite 20-years of PPV23 use in adults ≥ 65-years and herd protection due to 17-years of PCV use in infants, vaccine-serotype pneumococcal disease still causes a significant proportion of LRTI adult hospitalizations. Direct adult vaccination with high-valency PCVs may reduce pneumococcal disease burden

Severity of Omicron (B.1.1.529) and Delta (B.1.617.2) SARS-CoV-2 infection among hospitalised adults: A prospective cohort study in Bristol, United KingdomResearch in context

Summary: Background: There is an urgent public health need to evaluate disease severity in adults hospitalised with Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant infections. However, limited data exist assessing severity of disease in adults hospitalised with Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infections, and to what extent patient-factors, including vaccination, age, frailty and pre-existing disease, affect variant-dependent disease severity. Methods: A prospective cohort study of adults (≥18 years of age) hospitalised with acute lower respiratory tract disease at acute care hospitals in Bristol, UK conducted over 10-months. Delta or Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined by positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR and variant identification or inferred by dominant circulating variant. We constructed adjusted regression analyses to assess disease severity using three different measures: FiO2 >28% (fraction inspired oxygen), World Health Organization (WHO) outcome score >5 (assessing need for ventilatory support), and hospital length of stay (LOS) >3 days following admission for Omicron or Delta infection. Findings: Independent of other variables, including vaccination, Omicron variant infection in hospitalised adults was associated with lower severity than Delta. Risk reductions were 58%, 67%, and 16% for supplementary oxygen with >28% FiO2 [Relative Risk (RR) = 0.42 (95%CI: 0.34–0.52), P 5 [RR = 0.33 (95%CI: 0.21–0.50), P  3 days [RR = 0.84 (95%CI: 0.76–0.92), P < 0.001]. Younger age and vaccination with two or three doses were also independently associated with lower COVID-19 severity. Interpretation: We provide reassuring evidence that Omicron infection results in less serious adverse outcomes than Delta in hospitalised patients. Despite lower severity relative to Delta, Omicron infection still resulted in substantial patient and public health burden and an increased admission rate of older patients with Omicron which counteracts some of the benefit arising from less severe disease. Funding: AvonCAP is an investigator-led project funded under a collaborative agreement by Pfizer